Mavericks GM Nico Harrison Issues Statement After Team Loses Kyrie Irving for Season – Sports Illustrated
On Monday, the Dallas Mavericks’ year of atrocious injury luck came to a head. Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving tore his ACL during a 122–98 loss to the Sacramento Kings, ending his season.Irving’s injury led to an outpouring of sympathy across the basketball world, including from the nine-time All-Star’s general manager—Nico Harrison. Harrison has become an unwitting household name across North America for masterminding Dallas’s widely ridiculed trade of guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, but on Tuesday he expressed pubic support for Irving.”There aren’t words to fully describe who Kyrie Irving is to this team or what he means to us as an organization,” Harrison said via ESPN’s Shams Charania. “Kyrie is the heart and soul of this team.”The Mavericks acquired Irving from the Brooklyn Nets in Feb. 2023, ending a disastrous tenure marred by numerous off-the-court controversies. Irving then helped Dallas win the Western Conference title in 2024.”His work ethic and absolute dedication to his craft, it’s cut from the cloth of greats. I know it, I lived it, and I see the same ferocity and passion in him that I saw in (Hall of Fame guard) Kobe (Bryant),” Harrison said, alluding to his past work with Bryant for Nike.The Mavericks are currently 32-30—good for 10th in the Western Conference.feedPatrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history . Follow PAndres2001© 2025 ABG-SI LLC. – SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. – All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators’ opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates, licensees and related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.
